CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Midlothian High School community is coming together to mourn the life of 15-year-old Wyatt Fowler, the football player killed in a crash over the weekend.
Police confirmed that Fowler was one of five teenagers in a Chevrolet Impala when it ran off the road and struck a tree on Brandermill Parkway near Barnes Spring Road. The crash happened just after midnight on Saturday, Dec. 30.
Police confirm the passengers were ages 15, 16, 16, 17, and 17. Fowler died on the scene. The other teens were seriously injured in the crash, but are expected to recover.
“It’s just devastating,” said Amy Perry, one of Fowler’s teachers. “He had a charm that all of his teachers commented on, just loveable, whether it was office staff or admin or his teachers and his friends and his football friends.”
Fowler’s younger sister, Avery, visited a memorial at the crash site during the afternoon on Monday, sharing memories of her brother.
“He was funny and he was creative and he would make things for me,” Avery said. “He was a really good football player and thought he could make it on to a college football team because he wanted to go to Alabama State.”
The Chesterfield County Police Department said the cause of the crash is still under investigation, as of Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for the police department added the following: “Once charges are determined, a press release will be sent out.”
Sources close to the Midlothian High School football team shared the condition of one of the other passengers in the vehicle named Malik, who was also a sophomore on the team.
Malik reportedly had a broken neck, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. He was taken to a pediatrics intensive care unit to be treated for his injuries.
In the days following the crash, the community has come together to raise more than $25,000 for the families of the crash victims.
In the meantime, memories continue to pour in.
“We’re going to remember him really fondly, you know, like, life continues, but his legacy is forever, and I know together at ‘Midlo’ High, we will all remember Wyatt so very fondly,” Perry said.
Shawn Abel, Midlothian High School’s principal, described Fowler as “very kind and charismatic.”
“[He] will be greatly missed by many within the Midlo community, including me,” Abel wrote.
“I want him to know I love him and I really miss him and he’s in a better place and he can use the Jesus telephone… he can always call me if he needs me,” said Wyatt’s sister, Avery.
This is a developing story. Stay with 8News for updates.
